For you fellas that are/were heavy into outboard analog.... how much money was wasted?

Microphones. 

They are like compressors- just different enough to deem it neccesary to buy a couple of many varieties! I own a couple of Coles 4038s that I got second hand but they still cost about 2k. Not that I regret it.

Have never had the funds to splurge on proper outboard rack gear alas...

I think the term "wasted" is relative. It's all dependent on what tools different people prefer to produce the best results for the work they do. I am comfortable with my workflow using a combination of analog and software effects. I don't have the resources to spend a lot of cash on outboard effects so I do research to find good bargains. For example, I am loving a Symetrix compressor (CL150) I picked up for $75.00. It works well for tracking vocals and bass. I am also loving my software plugins - So for me, there's a balance between the two worlds.

If you do your research, hardware is a better investment than plug ins. I have seen and experienced myself, much more throw away with software. Thus wasted dollars. You can't get any money for DAW or older plugins when you want to try something new. In many cases, technology has left software behind which was unusable even 3 years after purchasing.

I moved my software dollars to hardware about 5 years ago and also did a lot of research on the hardware to pick up some fundamental pieces that are used in about 95% of commercial recordings. There is less of a risk in buying hardware because there is such a historical track record of what works. Less so software.

I would say stay away from the latest hardware piece advertised in the magazines, unless an item has been around for many years and has a track record, it is high risk.

 I think it is how you use the hardware. It may be more critical to obtain results but spending 3-6 times as much on everything is only for I guess large studios. I am satisfied with the hardware I bought, and using it the best one can may be the key. Afterall, most people won't hear that much of a difference or even be listening that intensely, so why drive yourself crazy with always wanting the best. Anything better and first one has to make the money for it, and then still have money to fix it perhaps if it fails and there is no guarantee that it won't fail anyway even if it costs much, much more. And then there are video codecs and audio codecs with the software on a computer, and still it won't match the expensive equipment recording in the first place. It just does not. So why spend it. And the hardware will change but still that probably will take longer and won't be obsolete anytime that soon. And software may or may not work all that great, and it still is the same ol' world.

It depends on the hardware. I see MPC, Synths, grooveboxes, drum machines, compressors and even some mics dropping their value sooo much. A few of these I have made a profit on, some I have lost money on but my biggest hardware affection lies in the mics and pres. Mmmmm til the day I die I'll have a growing collection.

Mod Bod


Me, I'm picking up analog gear again although I'm now looking for good buys on used higher end gear.

Used high end gear always returns its value.

I never had much of an outboard collection even back in the days of tape.... 

But I hear that some guys who have and still use the outboard stuff will swear by it as sounding better....kinda like vinyl vs CD's....

I currently am totally inside the box....and facing the dilemma I knew would arrive eventually. My system works fine, and does what I need but as far as any kind of upgrades..... I now must look carefully before I buy something because my system is XP/32 and everything coming out now seems to be W-7 64..... so I'm soon to be stranded o a desert island in the sea of music with all the new plugs and DAWs being incompatible with the OS. 

At some point..... I know I'll have to upgrade but maybe if I wait long enough and the computer hardware keeps running for a while..... maybe my next machine can run Windows 12 at 128bits.... 

Fender guitars and Amp $500 = Worth more now- still running- not obsolete
Mike Collection = $ 1000 Still worth the same - Still working - not obsolete
First PA system $ 100 - Bogen and Altec - Broke - Obsolete
Second PA Yorkville - $3,000 still working sold $ 1,000
Third PA Yamaha - $3,000 still working - not obsolete
Miss PA equipment - $3000 - some still working some broke
Yamaha compressor - $800 sold for $100
Yamaha EQ units x2 - $1200 - sitting gather dust ( no market)
Tanoy PM 5 Monitors - $600 - Broke
Yamaha NMS 10 - $600 not broke , not obsolete.
Alesis Midi verb $500 ?  Broke
Korg Poly 800 $1500 - broke
Various Roland, Yamaha and Korg MIDI sound modules- $ 4,000 - Gathering dust or gave away.  
Roland MIDI patch bay - $ 400 ? sold $50
MIDI sync generator - $ 300-  Gathering Dust
Yamaha 12 CH mixer $1,500 - sold $ 500
Mackie 1402 - $ 800  sold $ 200
Yamaha 01v - $2,800 still in use ( 1 dead channel)
Berhringer  Xeyna ?12 channel 5 years old and broken.  
Marshall JMP 1 rack pre amp  $ 1,000 - sold $ 500
DIgitech 24 bit Delay - $ 1000 sold for $ 100
Roland delay - $ 600  sold $ 200
Art Delay $ 500  broken
Yamaha 4 track cassette - $800  sold $ 100
Tascam 8 track Cassette - $ 1800 sold $ 500
Tascam 1/4" 2 track R-R - $ 1500 sold $ 1,000
Sony DAT recorders x 2  $ 2000 sold $ 200
Philips CD Recorder $ 800 - gathering dust
Yamaha 4 track Mini disk recorder - $ 800 - sold $ 400
Yamaha 8 track Mini disk recorder - $ 1400 gather dust
Dozens of CD players ,  Cassette decks and intigrated Amplifiers. - $ 3000 gathering dust or broke
Analog Tape and recording medium ( that's right, you used to have to buy storage) $ 2,000- some gather dust - some lost - some sold.
Digital Storage ( DAT and Mini Disk ) $ 1500
Guitar EFX. Stomp box - $ 2000 - sold 1/2 ( $500) rest still working
Guitar EFX Pedal boards _ $ 3,000 most broke, sell $300
GR 50 Guitar Synth $ 1500 - still kinda works
 Atari Computer - $ 1,500 1986- 2004
Music Software for Atari $ 1000 used for almost 20 years.
PC computers 2000 to present  around 6 = $2,000 ( I recycle my sons)
PC Music Software $ 1,000   

I'm mostly guessing at figures but I don;t think I'm that far off, And this list is missing a lot more but my fingers are tired.

Resale value depends a lot on whether you're talking about analog or digital hardware. A 50-year-old 1176 is worth far more today than it cost new, but nobody wants a 12-bit digital reverb.

Ever since software companies started disappearing / dropping products that I had purchased in GOOD FAITH for a not inconsiderable sum of money, I have totally rethought the way I purchase musical equipment - I look for older good quality interesting outboard gear, be that processor or say synths, then work these into my set up - if they go wrong, you just get them repaired - unlike software that stops working - once this happens its just rubbish - the list of stuff I have been "caught" with seems forever growing, but just to mention a few:-
NI Kore and lots of expansion packs
Steinberg - nearly everything I ever purchased from them!
Muse (gigasampler)
TC Electronics Powercore
Kjaerhus - all products

and many others that just depress me too much to remember!!!!!

And an added bonus to going hybrid software / hardware - hardware looks better, has more flashing lights and oh those touchy / feely knobs!!

Cheers
Nigel

I had a bass player come in with a boss Compression stomp box pedal that actually did a really good job of keeping the bass in check going in. It was nice.